I started this law firm because I saw a problem that needed to be fixed. I saw physicians like my brother struggling as they entered the workforce. As residents, the physicians I knew had lived and breathed their work as they spent countless hours in the hospital and in the books. They would graduate from medical school and residency with a moral imperative to serve their patients above all else. They learned empathy, compassion, and resilience. After spending so many days, nights, and years putting others before themselves, it was an awkward transition for them to have to defend and fight for themselves in contract negotiations. They often had no training in the business of medicine, contracts, negotiation, and financial planning. The new doctors would find themselves on their own up against large practices, hospitals, and corporate entities. It was like the archetypal David versus Goliath story, but in this case, David was entering the battle blind and without a slingshot. The graduates did not know what to look out for in their contracts and they had no tools to protect themselves. They trusted in the goodness of people and were so happy to just start making real money to pay their debts. They would eagerly sign on the dotted line, but because they did not have an attorney knowledgeable in health care law to review their contract, glaring problems would inevitably arise.

There was a young doctor whose boss decided to show his true colors after the young doctor had joined the practice. Unfortunately, the young doctor had signed a contract that contained severe monetary penalties for leaving the practice, and she didn't have a clear way out of the practice. I saw another doctor who had a wonderful first year with a guaranteed salary, but once his second year of employment came around, there was no way he could see enough patients to make anywhere near as much as he had his first year. Thus, the true downside to his compensation structure didn't become evident to him until he was already long into his practice and he had already worked hard to establish himself. Then there was the physician who had decided she no longer wanted to oversee mid-level providers like her practice required. She had started to talk with another practice where one of her former co-residents worked at. However, when she re-read the separation provisions in her current contract, she realized that her non-compete agreement excluded her from practicing in the entire metropolitan area. She had already bought a house and had a child in school, so moving unfortunately wasn't an option for her.

Stories like these were very upsetting for me to see and hear. I realized that these physicians needed an ally who would look out for their best interests and protect them from being taken advantage of. That is why I formed the Mayer Law Firm. With my law practice, I have the privilege of representing doctors as they enter and move between employment opportunities. I bring to the table knowledge and experience with the intricacies of physician contracts. My physician clients know that they are protected by someone with years of experience with law, contracts, litigation, business, and negotiation. Furthermore, from time to time physicians and others within the medical field witness legal violations that go beyond themselves and potentially affect others. Often these witnesses don't know who to turn to or how to proceed. Through my law practice, I can hear these witnesses out, help them determine if coming forward as a whistleblower is right for them, and if so, represent them in bringing their qui tam actions.